Spain Deployed a Heavy Armoured Unit Abroad for the first Time

Enhanced Forward Presence

In 2017, NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence saw four new deployments, bringing multinational battlegroups into Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as a response to changing security environments along NATO’s eastern border.

As part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia, Spain has deployed a heavy armoured unit abroad for the first time. Around 300 troops, 250 of which are from the Mechanised Infantry Brigade “Extremadura XI”, supported by Leopard tanks and Pizarro armoured vehicles, were stationed in eastern Europe for six months.

They constituted the second biggest contingent of the Latvian-based battlegroup led by Canada. The battlegroup has also been supported by troops from Albania, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. This story follows three crew members of a Pizarro armoured vehicle and their day-to-day life. The film crew embedded with the Brigade “Extremadura XI” from the pre-deployment training until their multinational training in Latvia. Here they share with us both military and more person moments.